Knights win fourth straight

Loberger, Engelbrecht honored for exceeding 1,000 career points

By JEN SEAVEY

Journal Sports Editor

NEW ULM -- Jeff Loberger sunk a long three-point shot to cross the 1,000 point mark, beginning a 74-69 Martin Luther College win over St. Scholastica Saturday; Loberger followed teammate Tom Engelbrecht, who made 1,000 Thursday against Crown College.

Engelbrecht and Loberger are the third and fourth MLC players to make over 1,000 career points. The first two to do so were Justin Walz, sophomore Micah Walz's older brother, and Steve Vasold. Vasold graduated from MLC in 2001, and Justin Walz, who also holds the school record in scoring, graduated in 2000.

Engelbrecht and Loberger are happy with their scoring, but it doesn't matter to them as much as the team does.

"It's alright -- I'm just happy that we are winning now," Engelbrecht said.

"It makes it nice," Loberger said. "But the bottom line is for the team to win basketball games -- as for the points, if it comes, it comes."

The Knights (8-8, 4-1) started the game with an 8-0 lead, compliments of Loberger's three, and a layin and three from Engelbrecht.

The Saints (5-15, 3-3) made four points, but before long, MLC was up 16-4 after Micah Walz hit a three from the top of the arc, Kurt Nielsen put back a missed three, and Phil Huebner made one from beyond the arc.

The Knights worked up to a 10 point lead with just a few minutes left in the half after Loberger sunk another three and Engelbrecht worked inside for two. The Saints whittled the MLC lead down to four before the Knights came back to go into the second half up 36-27.

After a three by Walz in the second half, the Knights were up by 10 again, but the Saints worked their way back, and when Mike Muckala hit two three-pointers, he pulled St. Scholastica into a 47-43 lead. Muckala led the Saints with 16 total points in the game.

The Knights flirted with overtaking the Saints for several minutes, then Micah Walz, who scored 16 points and grabbed ten rebounds for the Knights, hit a three, Joel Schwartz tied it at 59 with a free throw. The game was tied again at 61 and 63 before the Saints again took a slight lead. Engelbrecht and Schwartz made free throws to put MLC up 68-65, and the Knights were able to stay ahead of the Saints to win the game 74-69.

Engelbrecht thinks that the key to the Knights lead at the end was ball control.

"We handled the ball really well -- at the end especially," he said. "They were looking to steal, but we took care of it."

Aside from Engelbrecht's 27 points in the game, MLC coach Jim Unke also commended Schwartz and Nielsen for contributing well.

"Those two made the difference in the ball game," Unke said. "When they were in their zone defense, we were a little uncomfortable -- then Schwartz came in and started breaking it down and making passes."

"Our bench players did excellent," Loberger said. "The guys came in and did really well."

Nielsen had 11 points and seven rebounds for the Knights, and Schwartz added six points.

With this win, the Knights have now won four straight, and look to continue their success first against North Central Thursday, then in a conference matchup Saturday against Northwestern (10-13, 4-1), the team now tied for first in the UMAC with MLC.

"The game on Saturday should be a battle -- more like a war," Loberger said. "We handed them a win last time."